A 12-year-old Arlesey boy has designed his own range of eco-friendly Christmas crackers in a bid to cut down on single-use plastics over the festive period.
Charlie Wilkinson - who goes to Etonbury Academy - was inspired to design his own range of Eco Friendly Crackers after discovering that the majority of plastic in Christmas crackers is not recyclable.
Charlie's Eco Friendly Crackers are made from 100 per cent recyclable materials and rather than containing a plastic gift destined for landfill, each cracker is stuffed with homemade wildflower seed bombs and garden bulbs - specially chosen to help bees pollinate.
As well as a nature-themed joke, Charlie's crackers also contain instructions for how to plant the bulb, and environmental facts.
12-year-old Charlie said he was inspired to create his own range of crackers because he was "so upset to find out that the huge majority of cracker treats are single-use plastics."
"I read that in 2019 alone, Christmas crackers will result in 134 million tonnes of plastic to be dumped in the ocean", Charlie said. "My crackers are not only recyclable, but they give back to the earth, and help support bees and pollinating insects.
Charlie's mum Caroline said she is "proud of him for putting the whole plan together", and confirmed that his crackers "have now been shared worldwide."
"My little eco warrior decided I wasn't even allowed to buy regular crackers this Christmas because of the plastic waste", Caroline added. "After searching for eco-friendly crackers on the internet, Charlie found a gap in the market and decided to start his own little business
"He first sold his crackers at the Arlesey Christmas Fair, but received so many orders online, he sold out completely in a day!
"He's not in it to make money - Charlie just wants to make more people aware of the plastic pollution threatening our oceans."
A portion of the money raised has been donated to the Luna Animal Rescue - a foster dog rescue service based in Arlesey.
Charlie's crackers have also featured on the nationwide social media campaign 'Do it For David' - a community initiative inspired by David Attenborough, aimed at putting pressure on governments, and manufacturers "to come up with a better way to reuse plastics."
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